hookit

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Everything posted by hookit

  1. I don't know that I agree with that. I would think you've all got to be docked (just like RW) to claim a record. It's definitely hard but that's what makes it so fun! I definitely think we have the potential to set a dz.com ff record this weekend though!
  2. hookit

    Why?

    It's FUN!!!
  3. I disagree. When I was a newbie and had just downsized from a rented Fury 220 to my first canopy which was a PD 190 (loaded just under 1 to 1) I gave it line twists on the first turn I attempted to initiate. I was used to having to bury a toggle to get the huge student canopies to turn. I was flying straight and buried the right toggle. This stalled the right side of the canopy while the left side continued to fly thereby spinning the canopy above me and giving me line twists. Not to mention scaring the crap out of me! Fortunately I was plenty high and kicked out of the twists with no problems.
  4. I believe the only rule is that it has to be composed entirely of people who have posted on dz.com. Other than that I don't think it's too particular.
  5. Count me in. Also from what I heard at Dallas last weekend a lot of folks were planning to come down and play at Waller. Maybe they were just too lazy to RSVP (like me!). I'm guessing we're going to have a pretty good crew this weekend.
  6. First I have to say piss on you for making me actually think this morning. Fortunately for everyone I consumed sufficient quantities of coffee before reading this thread...otherwise it could have gotten ugly.
  7. If you have an AAD you might survive...but I wouldn't recommend testing it out. I once saw a chart on how much time you have at different altitudes before losing consciousness after you go off oxygen. I don't remember exactly what the time was but I believe (and could very well be wrong) that it was something like 15 seconds at 30k. I'm too lazy to try and look it up again though. Perhaps Quade or some other knowledgeable person knows it off the top of their head. -Trey
  8. I have a Bonehead Half Rak in which I cut out part of the padding by the ear to mount the protrack. Originally it was too quiet and I had to cut a deeper hole in the padding such that there was only a layer of lining between my ear and the Protrack. Since I did that I've been able to hear it fine. I'm not familiar with the Hurricane but if there's any padding or lining between your ear and the Protrack and you're having problems hearing the Protrack then I would recommend cutting some of the material out that is blocking the sound. Good luck! -Trey
  9. Good question. I would say that, unless you are VERY proficient at flat turns, you would be better off with a downwind or crosswind landing than you would be with landing during a flat turn. This probably also depends on the canopy and wing-loading you're flying. A larger, more forgiving canopy will be easier to land without injury during a flat turn than a pocket rocket will be. However, keep in mind that many more people are injured by landing during a turn than they are by landing downwind. Blue Skies & Safe Landings, Trey
  10. AM, I would say you first need to decide whether you want to have a top mount or side mount camera. Do you have a helmet already onto which you're planning to mount the camera? If so...the decision may have already been made. There are pros & cons to each: -top mount: less chance of a risers strike or line snag than a side mount however if you're planning to fly on your head with it then the top mount could act as a bit of a rudder and steer you around. -side mount: the weight of the camera is lower down and closer to your shoulders than with a top mount setup so that if you have a hard opening there's less force cranking down on your neck. Making the decision of top mount vs. bottom mount will just about cut the field of possible cameras in half. All I really know are Sony's since I and most other camera flyers use them however some folks are using other brands of cameras with good results. If you decide to go with a side mount setup then the Sony PC series should work well. The PC-1, PC-5, and PC-9 are all basically different versions of the same camera with the 1 being the oldest and the 9 being the newest with the most features. They all have the basic functionality needed to record video and transfer video to other cameras. I have a PC-9 and the functionality it has that the 5 doesn't (that I'm aware of) are: the memory stick on which you can record still pics or mpeg video up to 30 sec. (I rarely use this), the USB port (I never use this), and an improved battery (I definitely like this!). There could be other features but these are the biggies that I'm aware of. The PC-100 and 110 are a similar line of cameras (which you would also side mount) however they're bigger than the PC-1,5 & 9 and use a different focusing mechanism. I know folks who jump with these and have enjoyed good results. The only complaint I've heard about them is that the focusing mechanism can get thrown off by opening shock and you have to turn the camera off and back on to reset it. Not good if you enjoy getting video under canopy. I personally went with the PC-9 instead of a 110 because of it's smaller size and the focusing mechanism issue. I'm sure someone with a 110 will probably post saying they never have issues with the focusing mechanism so if you're interested in that camera then I would recommend you find someone who flies with one and ask them. If you decide to go for a top mount then the TRV line should work well. Many RW camera flyers use these so if you have questions about them I would recommend you find someone with a top mount. Chances are they're using a TRV model. Again there are different models in the TRV series but, unfortunately, I don't know the differences between the models. Good luck with your decision and don't be frustrated at how many questions you have about cameras and how many choices there are. As a dedicated gear hound I choose to enjoy the investigation phase of looking into any new toy despite how overwhelming it can seem at times. Just consider them all POSSIBLE new toys. Eventually you'll have to settle on just one!
  11. What camera do you have and what is the connection type that connects the bite switch to the remote relay? I have a Canon Rebel 2000 and a bite switch which I also bought from Paragear. I got the switch with the 3.5 mm jack so the bite switch plugs directly into the remote shutter release jack (no relay) and it works fine. Do you know any camera flyers with bite switches which you could swap out just to see if the problem persists with a different bite switch? That should at least tell you whether the problem is with the camera or the switch. You could also try your bite switch on a different camera. Good luck. -Trey
  12. Who's 'leading' the head down big way skills camp this weekend at Waller? Also who's planning to attend? I was at Skydive Dallas this past weekend for some big way skills training with Jon McCollum. Very fun! Learned a TON and improved my flying big time. There were fewer people than I'd expected to see. I guess with San Marcos the weekend before and with Waller this weekend folks weren't up for the travel? Anyway...we did lots of 4 to 6 way jumps. We did one 8 way which didn't build but was still a blast! Plus we got various other fun dives in...tracking dives, flocking dives...even a ball jump! Blues, Trey
  13. Congratulations, Josh! Very well done. -Trey
  14. Fred, I agree with Quade in that I don't really like the term '2 stage flare'. For me as a student that term brought images of bringing the toggles down to one point to level the canopy out and holding them there for a bit and then bringing the toggles the rest of the way down to complete the flare. As if there were two distinct movements that constituted the flare. In reality, even on a high performance canopy, the flare is a continual and gradual lowering of the toggles as the canopy is flown throughout the entire landing. And on ANY canopy it should be a smooth motion. A canopy generates lift best when there is a smooth airflow going over the canopy. If you 'yank the shit out of the toggles' you disrupt the airflow and the canopy will become a bit unsettled and will therefore not generate as much lift as it would have if you'd smoothly brought the toggles down. Granted we've all (unfortunately) been in the position where we flared late and we had no choice but to yank the shit out of the toggles to avoid injury (with varying degrees of success ) however you certainly should not make a habit out of it. Also, even a fairly quick movement can be done smoothly so as not to unsettle the canopy. Whatever you do make sure you continue to seek the advice of your local jumpmasters and experienced jumpers. The only stupid question is the one you don't ask. Blue Skies and Soft Landings! -Trey
  15. When? Tell me...TELL ME! I hate suspense!!! Name that movie: "Who are you?" "I'm no one to be trifled with." "Really, I must know." "Get used to disappointment."
  16. Another thing that hasn't been mentioned in this thread is the Stroboframe quick mount. They're not cheap but they're really cool gadgets. I believe I showed you the one I have on top of my Half Rak for my still camera. (If not I'll have it with this weekend.) If you don't go with a quick release of some sort then you can end up having to re-align the still camera each time you mount it.....not fun. Have fun! -Trey
  17. hookit

    More on Packers

    I RARELY use packers. For me packing is a part of the sport. I usually enjoy the packing process (somewhat) and I definitely enjoy it when I pack myself a nice soft opening. I also enjoy knowing that I'm solely responsible for any poor openings I might have. The time I'm most tempted to use a packer is after the sunset load after a long day of jumping. It's sure hard to get motivated to pack it up again! I'd be curious to know what percentage of malfunctions occurred when the services of a packer were used vs. when jumpers packed for themselves.
  18. I believe mechanical engineers do indeed incorporate a 13th floor on every building with more than twelve floors. The difference in some buildings is that whoever's in charge of putting the little numbers in the elevator for each floor skips 13 and goes straight for 14. So...the moral is, it's not the mechanical engineers who are superstitious...it's the elevator technicians!
  19. Congratulations! 291 is a very respectable high speed. What are you wearing on your speed attempts?
  20. Out of curiousity. What was the avg speed for that jump? If that ball is truly falling anywhere near 260 then it was poorly made. Most freefliers are going to have a very, very hard time staying with it. The spaceballs that the First School of Whatever Modern Name We Trademarked uses fall around 160 typically. Last summer at SDC's Summerfest they were there giving AD exams and the balls were actually falling closer to the 150 range and a LOT of people went low on them.
  21. hookit

    I made it.....

    I'm glad to hear you survived the trip! Good call. I learned to skydive just south of Colorado Springs. Unlike the planes here in Texas every jump plane I rode in Colorado had oxygen available for jumpers who asked for it. If you didn't ask, you didn't get it. I moved back and forth from Houston to Colorado Springs several times and each time I went to the higher altitude it took about 3 weeks before I noticed my body significantly adjusting to it and it took a full 3 months before I was fully acclimated and could push myself cardiovascularly without my lungs burning pretty bad. (I was cycling a LOT at the time.) I was fully acclimated when I began jumping and never used oxygen (mainly because no one else did and I, being the new jumper, followed suit). Having just come from sea level I would recommend using oxygen for AT LEAST the first month you're there if not the first three months. Have fun and be safe! -Trey
  22. Cool. Glad to see everything went safely. Was it formed well enough that you could see the four distinct linesets running through each of the slider grommets? Could it also explain the soft openings of some of the canopies known for soft openings such as crossfires, xaos's, and velocities since they have smaller openings on the nose cells? I know an exception to this rule might be FX's because I know several people with FX's which very commonly whacked them on opening.
  23. 1. How will it open? - I'm guessing that it won't even open enough to cause the slider to drop. I would think that without the pressurization of the cells there won't be any spanwise expansion and the canopy will basically be in a permanent snivel. 2. How will it fly? - Like a canopy in a permanent snivel. You could probably get directional changes using harness input but I would think that would be about it. 3. How will it turn? - see #2 4. How will it land? - I liked Bill's response to this one. Since I'm so late posting on this I'm guessing you already jumped it. If so how'd it go and did you get video? Blues, Trey
  24. Sweet pic. Thanks for posting it. How did you set the focus? Was it on infinity? -Trey